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| Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis briefed senators Wednesday on U.S.-Saudi relations ahead of a key vote later in the afternoon on a resolution that would end U.S. military support to a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen’s civil war.
They also told senators that it was the White House’s decision not to send CIA Director Gina Haspel to the Senate briefing on Saudi Arabia.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters after the briefing. “I cannot recall a briefing on such a sensitive nature where we have been denied access to the intelligence agencies of the United States.”
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The White House strategy failed.
The Senate advanced the resolution on Wednesday to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen by 63 to 37, dealing a significant blow to the Trump administration.
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Less than an hour before the vote, the White House also released a statement of administration policy threatening to veto the resolution.
Senators have grown increasingly frustrated with Saudi Arabia amid growing questions about if it is limiting civil casualties in Yemen and the death of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
If Trump does veto or block the resolution then likely the Senate will turn to other means of blocking his policies to pressure him.